Those who bear hatred toward Maheśvara, the great Lord, will never reach his sacred abode. Those who revile Pinākin, the wielder of the bow, will quickly meet their destruction. Any who slander the god Īśāna are condemned to countless hells, whether their offense is committed by deed, thought, or speech—even if directed towards his devotees with deliberate effort. In the Kali age, devotees must carefully avoid such people, for they are cursed by the sage Gautama upon earth and are not to be spoken to by the best among the twice-born. The excellent ones, having uttered the sacred syllable 'Om', departed swiftly to their own abodes. Withdrawing his entire lineage, one went to that supreme state, which cannot be described in detail. Freed from all sins, a person is honored in the heavenly worlds. O Sūta and others, now let us briefly describe their nature. Pārtha, the supremely righteous soul among the Pāṇḍavas, the subduer of foes, once saw the sage Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana walking along the path. Arjuna, casting off his sorrow, fell to the ground in respectful prostration before the sage. He asked, “O lord, where are you going so quickly, and to which place? Tell me what task is mine, O lotus-eyed one.” The sage, surrounded by his disciples, sat down upon the riverbank and replied, “I am going to the great city of Vārāṇasī, the abode of the god. There, in the Kali age, great sinners will arise, devoid of caste and stage of life. Yet, expiation is the remedy for all sins in this age. There will also be great souls, righteous and speakers of truth. If you uphold your supreme duty today, you will be freed from fear.” Having bowed down, Arjuna asked the best of the twice-born about the duties of the ages. He also bowed to the god Īśāna and inquired about the eternal duties that govern each age. The sage replied, “O Pārtha, I cannot speak of it to you in detail. The third age is called Dvāpara, and the fourth is Kali. In the Dvāpara age, sacrifice alone is declared as the path; in the Kali age, charity alone. In Dvāpara, the deity is Vishnu; in Kali, Rudra, the great lord. Blessed Rudra, bearer of the Pinaka, is worshipped in all four ages.” He continued, “In the Tishya age, when only one quarter remains, existence persists only in its essence. All creatures are always satisfied, always joyful, and enjoy pleasures. In the Krita age, they share equal lifespan, happiness, and beauty. Firm in meditation and austerity, they are devoted above all to Mahadeva, dwelling in mountains and oceans, homeless and free.” “When that perfection was lost, another perfection arose. Rain began to fall from clouds and thunder, and for the people, trees appeared, known as houses. At the beginning of the Treta age, people lived from those trees. Then, suddenly, a disposition of passion and greed arose among them, and thereafter, all those trees known as houses perished.